Stem-cell tourism: it's a thing

This article was taken from the June 2013 issue
of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print
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As advances in DNA synthesis,
genetic sequencing and bioengineering accelerate, the cell will become a sophisticated, malleable computer. Its
DNA is the software that can be modified, augmented or even coded
from scratch, like an app. And just as computers can be hacked, so
can biology.

The anticipated range of biocrimes
includes creating a new type of infectious disease as well as
collecting and analysing people's DNA without their knowledge and
implicating them in crimes. A 2009 police raid at a Hungarian
medical clinic highlighted a new crime: stem-cell tourism. Patients travel to "guerrilla" clinics and
pay for unproven medical treatments. The clinic had charged a fee
of $25,000 (£16,500) for illegally obtained embryonic and foetal
stem cells, which were created in a laboratory without
authorisation or safety testing.